Adjustable divider for display racks



March 15, 1960 G. L. FREEDMAN 2,928,553

ADJUSTABLE DIVIDER FOR DISPLAY RACKS Filed June 6. 1958 0 T TOkA/E Y5.

United States PatentO ADJUSTABLE mvmnn FOR DISPLAY RACKS 7 Gordon L. Freedman, Charlevoix, Mieh., assignor to Freedman Artcraft Engineering Corporation, Charlevoix, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 6, 1958, Serial No. 740,238

6 Claims. (Cl. 211-137) This invention relates to display racks and is particularly directed to a divider for use in separating the long shelves of magazine and record display racks into transverse sections of adjustable lengths.

' Display racks of the type to which the present invention is generally directed are commonly found in record and novelty stores and comprise a bank of horizontal Shelves arranged in parallel, offset, or staggered relationship one above the other. The rear wall of each shelf extends upwardly from its associated base to a point above the base of the adjacent higher shelf so as to simultaneously provide a back wall for the lower shelf and a front wall for the adjacent higher shelf. 'Each shelf unit thus includes a base, a front wall, and back wall defining Ia rectangular trough in which records or other articles re's't onedge. Many stores include a department which specializes in the sales of records, magazines, and similar thin, fl alt merchandise which can be displayed to best advantage when on edge. I The function of the display rack is threefold, first, to provide an attractive, economical method of filing and storing iterns so that they may be easily located; secondly,

to create impulse sales by allowing a potential customer to view" the articles involved as he moves through the store; thirdly, to provide a means for customer selfservice.

The impulse sales feature is extremely important as the kind of articles generally sold in racks of the type described are of the low priced variety which the customer may purchase from visual contact alone, without having had the intention of making the purchase before entering fthe store. Therefore it is most important for'the store ownerfto facilitate selection by arranging the records or merchandise in an orderly manner for the customers convenience.

Self-service racks of theclass referred to have long posed a problem in regard to the arrangement or display of articles in the racks since most customers are very careless in removing and replacing articles and in a short time the display becomes completely disarranged with the articles haphazardly placed in the racks, many of them overlapping one another. This constant customer shuffi- 'ing not only makes a display less neat and decorative, but also destroys a main function of the display rack which is to display as many of the complete articles as possible side by side in a readily accessible position.

In addition, the merchandise may become scuffed or marred if no means are utilized to keep the public from scraping and play rack. For instance, should a carboard record jacket become scuffed or bent at the corners, it immediately appears used or old and will be ignored by potential shufiling it up and down theentire length of a long discustomers even though the record inside is in perfect 7 condition."

In the past, various permanent and temporary divider means have been utilized to keep the articles separated so that the customers will'not be able to shufile the articles along the length of the shelf but instead will be 2,928,553 Patented Mar. 15, 1960 V 2 confined to browsing and inspecting the articles in individual, transversely divided compartments. The permanent or fixed divider means are relatively expensive and are disadvantageous since they cannot be adjusted to varying inventories. The temporary dividers which have previously been proposed have also been less than satisfactory because they have been diflicult to install or change or because theydo not stay in place after installation.

This invention is directed to a divider consisting of the combination of a channel shaped rack having a bottom and apertured front and back walls, an elongated pin for selective insertion through a pair of the apertures (one of the pair being formed in the front wall and the other in the back wall) and a means to lock the pin in place after being so inserted. The pin must be of suiticient length to' reach through an aperture in the front wall of the rack and extend transversely across the width of the bottomof the rack and through a corresponding aperture in the rear Wall of the rack so as to divide the rack into transverse sections. The preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a threaded pin member with a screw head. This member is inserted in the rack in the manner discussed above, and a Tinnerman nut is used to lock the pin into the rack. A more exact description of this operation will be discussed in detail in the specification. j

The advantage of the instant combination is that the resulting divider may be quickly installed but requires a comparatively long time for removal thereby effectively discouraging pilfering or loss. Moreover, by providing a plurality of apertures in the rack walls, the "divider spacing can readily be varied by selection of. thepairpof apertures through which the divider is to be inserted.

The adjustable feature of the device provides a greater utility for the display racks by allowing forjthem to be used interchangeably for tape, 45, 33%, and 78 rpm. records, all of which are different sizes.

As mentioned before, the divider may also be used in a rack used for displaying any rectangular articles of medium width such as magazines, books, newspapers, etc.

.Another object of this invention is to provide a divider means which occupies a ,minimum amount of space so as to allow a maximum area for distribution of articles to be displayed.

A further object of this invention is to provide 'a divider means which is sturdy and long lasting in construction yet attractive and modern looking means for dividing display rack shelves into transverse sections.

For the attainment of these and such other objects as may appear or be pointed out, I have shown an embodi ment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a'perspective view of a display rack pro- -vided with divider members constructed in accordance with the present invention. I E Figure 2 is a cross sectional'view taken along the line 2-2 ofFigurel. i 1 Figure 3 is a partially diagrammatic perspective view showing the manner in which a divider is installed.

Figure 4 is aside elevational view of the divider. Figure 5 is an end View of the divider. 7 As shown in Figure 2, a preferred form of the inven tion comprises the combination-ofan apertured-display rack 6, an elongated pin member l and a'Tinnerman or speed-nut 2. A portion of the pin adjacent one end is screw threaded as at 4 and is provided with a screw head 3. Tinnerman nut 2 is formed-ofresilientmetal one above thejotherr and includes two spring arms '9 struck from vthe main body of the nut, the adjacent ends of arms 9 are provided 12 ,of shelf 8 extends above the horizontal bottom wall 13 of the adjacent upper {shelf so that .a trough is formed in which the records rest. Each vertical wall thus forms a rear wall for one shelfland a front ,wall'for the next highershelfl y With particular reference to Figure 1,- it is seen that the vertical-wall 12of eaclilshelf (except wa1lf14) is supplied with two parallel transversely extending lines of apertures 15 and 16. One of the lines' of apertures It will be noted that verticaFwall pin adjacent thescrew head isxthreaded. It will be readilyappreciatedthat the Tinnerman nut may be used at the opposite end of the pin so as to abut the rear face of the rear .wall of the rack; and if such use is desired, then the opposite end of the divider pin may be screw threaded instead .of'the eridadj'acent the head.

It will further be appreciated that the ir stant invention contemplates, other dividing means than a threa'ded pin c operating witha Tinnermaunut. .Forinstance, a shaped pin may be used tocoactswith specially designed apertures so thatupon the pins being inserted through a selected painof' the apertures it need only. berotated 90" or, l8q flthus causing the shaped portion of'the pin to rotate out "of alignment with: the specially formed apertures so that-the1,shaped portion will abut the shoulders of the apertures thereby locking the pin in the rack.

Havingldescribed my invention, 1 claim:

1. As a new articleiof manufacture, a displaydevice' ycomprising botton1, front and back walls, each ofgsaid is placed near the upper portion 'ofsv'alldz andthe other line near the lower po tion'of-wall 12fin alignment with the line of apertures in the upper portion of the adjacent, lower wall. The apertures are positioned so that each aperture in line 15 is 'in'fregistry with a corresponding aperture in line 16 of the next highest lined up one behind the other so as to form a iseriesvof pairs ofapertures. V V V As is disclosed in Figure 3, the'dividerpinis installed by first partially inse 'ng'the,pin-(from the front) through one er the apertures :15' in the portion offa vertic l wall .12 forming the front wall of a shelf. A- Tinnermaninut 2 is then pressed onto the pin and then 7 the pin islforc'ed inwardly until ,its'inner end resides walls having a plurality of apertures formed therein, each' aperture formed, in said front walli'beingfaligned with an aperture jforrnedin said back'wall, said display device having' an elongated divider pin for insertion througha pairof'said aligned aperturesland a speed-nu't,-

said pin; beingprovided' with 'a screw head, a portion of said pin adjacent :said screw head being screw threaded V V whereupon saidvspe ed-nut may be utilized to mount said shelf wall. In' other words, the lines of apertures are 7 divider zpin' in said rack thereby effectively dividing said rack into transverse sections. 7 V

ZLA's a new-articleof manufacture, an adjustable divider display" device havingfbottom, front and back walls 'into transverse sections, each of said front and in an aperture 16 of the rearwall. Inward movement of the pin is limited by the engagementof screw head 3 with wall 12. The Tinnerman nut is then pressed toward 7 screw head 3 until it fits snugly against the inside face ofwall 12. H l T i v r When in place, spring arms 9 of thezTinneirnan nut engage screw threads 4, tightly gripping wal112 between the faces of the nut and screw head 3 thereby loeking the pin portion in the rack. As can be seen in Figure 5,

screwhead 3 is provided with a s1ot'17 so that when it is desiredtoremove' thedivider pin thepin may be unscrewed through the, Tinnerman nut with a screw driverprcoin. V 1 r f As can be seen in Figure 1, the pins ll-may be installed so as-to divide the shelves into as many transverse sections as there are pairs of perforations and oficourse the divided sections may ,be of many different sizes. .'I he division of thedisplay rack into separate se'ctions allows for cataloguing and grouping of the merchandise dis:

' played so that many customers may browse atthe rack at onetime, each of them Ieafing through the merchandise in a, separatecompartment;

It will be appreciatedthat while the Tinnernian nut may be quickly andeasily snapped onto the divider pin,

it takes a considerably longer, time -to funscrew ,it,

therefore effectively discouraginggpilfering. Thus while I the divider may be quickly installed: without the: ;aid' of any tool,,a screw driver, blade, coin or the likef'must be used to detach the: device; Moreover, once it jsinplace,

for the articles displayed.

- device having a screw threaded divider'fpin for selective formed in the backwall of said rack has an axis common to an. aperture formed'in the front wall of said raclglso asto form a pluralitylof pairs of alignedapertures,;said

insertion through one of saidlp'airs ofaperturesanda speed-nutto lock ,said divider pin into said rack upon insertion of saidpin in one of said pairs of apertures'so as to divide said rack into transverse sections.

3. A display rack comprising two spacedtvertical wal-is each of said walls having an aperture formed therein, the aperture formed in each of said walls being designed in alignment with the aperture in the other of said walls,

a horizontal shelf member joining the lower portions of; said walls, a screw threaded elongated divider pin for insertion in said apertures, a Tinnerrnannut adapted to fit over said pin to lock said divider pin; into said rack upon insertion of'said pin through said apertures so as to divide said rack. intotransverse sections.

4. A display rack'comprising a plurality of adjacent shelves disposedone above the other, each shelf comprising'two spaced vertical walls each of said;walls.. having an aperture formed'therein, the aperture formed in each of said walls b eingdesigned in alignment withthe .apertureinutlie other of said walls, a horizontal shelf Arnember joining the lower portions of said walls, a screw the divider pin occupies af'negligible amount of space, thereby allowing for maximumavailability ofjshelf space i t In the preferred, embodimentof the invention, it is disclosed thatthe Tinnerman nut isdisposed between the ir r i tyandback walls of the rack so that 'it cooperates with the screw'head ofthe divider pin'and locks the pin, in -the rack by pressure, againstftherear. face of the 1 front wallpof the rack; In conjunction with this type of operation, it has been disclosed that the portion of the.

threadedelongated' dividenpin for insertion; in said apertures", a' Tinnermanflnut adapted to fit over said pin to lock, said divider-pin intosaid rack upon insertion of said p n through said apertures so as to divide said rack 7 into transverse 'sections. a v 7 5; Adisplay rack comprising a. plurality of adjacent shelves oneabovethe other in parallel offset relationship; each shelf comprising front and back spaced vertical walis, -each' of said 'walls' having .a pair of apertures formed therein, one of said apertures being formed adjacent the upper. portion of saidwall the other of said apertures being formed adjacent the lower portionjof {said wa1l,the aperturegadjacent the upper portion. of

saidfroiit wall being disposed in alignment with the aperture-fanned adjacent'thelowcr'portion of said back wall so as to form a pair-of aligned apertures, a horizontal shelf member joining the two walls at a point adjacent the lower portion of said back wall and intermediate the upper and lower portions of said front wall, an elongated pin for insertion through said pair of aligned apertures and means for securing said pin in said walls upon being so inserted.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a display rack comprising, bottom, front and back walls, each of said front and back walls having at least one aperture formed therein in alignment with an aperture in the other of 10 2,492,115

transverse insertion through said pair of apertures, portion of said pin being screw threaded, and means to lock said divider pin transversely in said rack when inserted through said pair of apertures.

- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Crowther Dec. '20, 1949 

